Clorox Bleach Germicidal Wipes Receive EPA Registration to Kill C. diff Spores in 3 Minutes

Clorox Professional Products Company announces that Clorox Healthcare Bleach Germicidal Wipes are now registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to kill Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) spores in three minutes, the fastest C. difficile contact time available for disinfecting wipes. 
 
Clorox Healthcare Bleach Germicidal Wipes are now EPA-registered to kill a total of 51 microorganisms, including all ESKAPE pathogens (E. faecium, S. aureus, K. pneumonia, A. baumannii, P. aeruginosa, E. aerogenes) in 30 seconds, norovirus in one minute and TB and C. difficile in three minutes. The wipes are ready-to-use, hospital-grade disinfectant wipes and are trusted by more U.S. hospitals than any other bleach wipe.

 
Clorox Healthcare understands that in fast-paced healthcare settings it is important for healthcare professionals to have effective solutions that can save them precious minutes in their daily environmental disinfection routine, says Beata Grabowski, senior director of marketing for Clorox Professional Products Company. The new EPA-registered three-minute C. difficile claim for Clorox Healthcare Bleach Germicidal Wipes allows healthcare professionals to help reduce the spread of C. difficile in their quest to improve patient care.
 
Clorox Healthcare Bleach Germicidal Wipes contain 0.55 percent (5500ppm) sodium hypochlorite, which exceeds the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) recommended requirement to kill many of the pathogens of most concern to healthcare facilities. Clorox Healthcare Bleach Germicidal Wipes are equal to a 1:10 dilution of liquid bleach and include an odor-masking agent, specially formulated to provide fast, effective disinfecting to accommodate the most sensitive healthcare environments and users.
 
C. difficile, a spore-forming bacterium found in the intestines that can cause diarrhea to more serious life-threatening intestinal disease, is a growing concern for healthcare facilities in the United States. According to the CDCs recent March 2012 Vital Signs Report, C. difficile infections are at an all-time high and are linked to 14,000 deaths in the United States each year.[iii]
 
Clorox Healthcare Bleach Germicidal Wipes are suitable for use on most hard, nonporous surfaces including stainless steel.  They are offered in multiple packaging options designed for multipurpose use (6.75 x 9 wipes, 70 ct.), terminal cleaning (12 x 12 wipes, 110 ct.) and clinical surfaces (6" x 5" wipes, 150 ct.). Beginning in September 2012, a new, slimmer 70-count wipes canister will be available for improved dispensing and an overall better end-user experience. Clorox Healthcare Bleach Germicidal Wipes were originally EPA-registered to kill C. difficile spores in June 2011 and their EPA registration number is 67619-12.